Lord Justice Clerk

LORD JUSTICE CLERK, in Scotland, a judge next in rank to the lord justice-general. He presides in the second division of the court of
session, and in the absence of the lord justicegeneral, presides in the court of justiciary. The justice clerk was originally not a judge at all, but simply
clerk and legal assessor of the justice court. In course of time he was raised from the clerk's table to the bench, and by custom presided over the court in the
absence of the justice-general. Up to 1672 his position was somewhat anomalous, as it was doubtful whether he was a clerk or a judge, but an act of that year,
which suppressed the office of justice-depute, confirmed his position as a judge, forming him, with the justice-general and five of the lords of session into
the court of justiciary. The lord justice clerk is also one of the officers of state for Scotland, and one of the commissioners for keeping the Scottish
Regalia. His salary is 4800 a year.